Never too late

Okay, I seem to like doing Soul Calibur fanfics¡­ ^-^
Anyways, I apologize if it¡¯s boring, please send me any comments to make this better, ok?
Or does everyone prefer Omake? XD
Or Yun¡¯s diary?
*Snort* The idiot hasn¡¯t found his diary yet! XD XD XD

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¡°Good fight!¡±
Kilik grinned broadly, then winced at the gashes and cuts he had.

¡°I¡¯m honored to contemplate such a noble battle with you, battosai.¡±

Using his foot, he kicked his staff; sending it into an elegant dance in mid-air,
before catching it easily between his palms.
¡°Yosh.¡± A polite salutation, then he left.

I watched as his dissipating shadow dissolved into the night; 
the shimmer of his weaponry torching the direction he headed.

Silence.

The unsettling serenity I was so afraid of since childhood came back.
So surreal.

My katana clattered to the ground.
Blood.
Trickling down my hand in little veined rivers;
making my already loosened grip slippery.

The blade, tattooed with blood; my blood, taunted me;
haunting me, glomping me of my failure.

Many battles have I fought, some won, some lost.
But this one seared through my heart like a soldered iron, so intensely;
like a long-sword piercing right through, past my back, through my life.

A permanent scar as a reminder and its souvenir.
Kilik had not used his full strength to fight me.

Gentle pinpricks of dew-like rain showered from the darkening sky.
It seemed to sympathize me, trying to soothe my pain.
The splash of bloodied ground merged with the rain waters.
It tried hard to clear my vision of dread, of shock.
To no avail.

I¡¯m hopeless.

After walking a distance from the battlegrounds,
Hwang ran from a distance towards me.
His face was ruddy with an eerie red, grief spilled from his woeful eyes.
Something was wrong.
Terribly wrong.

¡°Mitsurugi-sama!¡± He gasped desperately for air as he called my name.
His face was wet with tiny beads of tears camouflaged by raindrops.
I prepared myself for the break of news.

¡°Xianghua-san! She¡¯s dead!¡±
¡°Princess? Why?¡±
¡°Inferno¡¯s sword was found at her heart. She was raped!¡±
He stumbled over the latter.
Hwang loved Xianghua dearly.

It was like adding acid to injury.
Salt was not enough.
Not being able to with-hold my angst, I sobbed.

¡°I¡¯m too old. Can¡¯t even protect her. Not even the ones I love¡­
USELESS!¡±
Hot streams flowed down my face endlessly as I cried out;
cried out to the cold, cruel world; to the Heavens so unjust.

I felt like running away from everything.
The only purpose in my life already taken away,
this soul in this withering body is valueless,
except maybe as an offering to the Heavens above;
hopefully to ask them to be more merciful.

With no family, nor friends to mourn for my death,
I can die with no worries of causing un-needed sorrow.
Just another meaningless soul lusting to be accepted into Death¡¯s arms.
Closing my eyes, I can hear its beckon; as my katana sinks into its master¡¯s flesh¡­

¡°Battosai! Battosai! Awaken!¡±
A strangely muffled, yet awfully familiar voice strangled my senses.

Is that Death calling me?
Forcing my eyes to open, I saw a shadow lulled above me,
eyes hovering, as if searching for my soul¡¯s presence.

¡°At last. I thought all elementals were against me.¡±
Kilik smiled, and heaved out a heavy, yet relieved sigh.
Still, he seemed anxious and rushed.

¡°Kilik? Am I not unliving?¡±

¡°Why die just because you lost a battle?¡±

¡°My purpose and value in life has just disintegrated before me.
I only live for the ones I love and cherish.
Since that¡¯s flown away, slipped from my grasp, why should I continue to suffer?
You make a worthier warrior than I.
No, I¡¯m not a battosai, just an old man.¡±

¡°You¡¯re wrong. We need you. Maxi¡¯s in trouble. Or should I say he¡¯s in Asguard.¡±

¡°Inferno¡¯s realm? He¡¯s captured?¡±

¡°And he¡¯s going to be slaughtered brutally and fed to the dogs, 
if lucky. Inferno likes his ki.¡±

¡°Beast.¡±
Almost like a natural reflex, I stood, grabbing my katana along with me.

After realization, I released my tight grasp, as if the hilt disgusted me greatly.

Kilik dropped his staff at my feet, I bent to help pick it, but he stopped me.

¡°I¡¯ll pick it myself.¡± Stooping low, he did.

¡°Picking up a fallen object takes strength.
Picking up an ego takes courage.
Picking up a friend who fell takes encouragement.
However, picking up a useless, valueless life takes much more than all that.
It takes heart.
Pick yourself up.
Everyone needs you today, everyone needs you tomorrow.
A true warrior doesn¡¯t run, nor hide. He always strives ahead.
We believe in you.¡±

I gave him an owlish stare.
¡°I don¡¯t believe in myself.¡±

¡°You would. You¡¯ll understand.¡± At that, he left.

¡°If others believing in me could make a difference, I¡¯ll like to think that too.¡±
I smirked.
The irony was getting to me.

I suddenly remembered what Xianghua told me once.
¡°There¡¯s no harm trying. In fact, we all should, ne, Mitsurugi-san?¡±

I smiled, tears rimming my eyes.
My katana seemed to be summoning my lost soul, calling;
I see the brightened pathways.
With both hands, I held the hilt, gripping tightly;
as if afraid it would fall to the floor and shatter again.

Yes, I can feel my determination rush through my veins once more.
The strength I need.
Guide me.

The battle hath ended.
Now¡¯s WAR!


~Owari~